Job benefit query

D

Deede

Guest
Hi I would be grateful if anyone could clarify this query on job benefit for me, thanks in advance.

My situation is I have 4 years of prsi contributions from UK and 5 years in Ireland this is up until 1999 when I left employment to be a stay at home mum. From then until march 2011 I had credited contributions. In Mid march 2011 I returned to part time employment I worked until the end of Dec 2011 when my contract ended as I was covering maternity leave. I am currently seeking employment.

My question is am I entitled to claim job benefit, I am confused to my eligibility as I do not have any paid contributions for 2010 the current year welfare are working from. But on the welfare site it says:




To qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit you must:
  • Be unemployed (you must be fully unemployed or unemployed for at least 3 days out of 6)
  • Be under 66 years of age
  • Have enough social insurance (PRSI) contributions
  • Be capable of work
  • Be available for and genuinely seeking work
  • Have had a substantial loss of employment and as a result be unemployed for at least 3 days out of 6.
Social insurance (PRSI) contributions




To qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit, you must pay Class A, H or P PRSI contributions. Class A is the one paid by most private sector employees. Class H is paid by soldiers, reservists and temporary army nurses, who do not qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit until they have left the army. To qualify you need:
  • At least 104 weeks PRSI paid since you first started work
And
  • Have 39 weeks PRSI paid or credited in the relevant tax year (a minimum of 13 weeks must be paid contributions*)
Or
  • Have 26 weeks PRSI paid in the relevant tax year and 26 weeks PRSI paid in the tax year immediately before the relevant tax year.
*If you do not have 13 paid contributions in the relevant tax year, you must have paid 13 contributions in any of the following years:
  • The 2 tax years before the relevant tax year
  • The last complete tax year
  • The current tax year.
The Relevant Tax Year is the second last complete tax year before the year in which your claim is made. So, for claims made in 2011, the Relevant Tax Year is 2009.

From reading this I took it that once I had 104 prsi contributions and 13 paid contributions in 2011 I would be entitled to JB. But when I rang my local dole office in early Dec the lady I spoke to told me I was reading the above section wrong and I wasnt entitled to JB. Can anyone please explain how I am reading this wrong, I am going to the dole office on mon and I want to know what I am talking about. I realise the lady is probably correct but I just want to educate myself a little.
 
Yes my husband was claiming the home carers tax credit so I was awarded home makers credits during this time.
 
Even if you are not entitled to JB make sure you sign on for credits if you are actively seeking work
 
Thanks for the feedback guys. When I rang she did say I had been credited for years at home and also emphasised how important it was for me to continue doing so when my job ended. So going on the info that I have been credited do you think it is likely I may be entitled to make a claim?
 
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